North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple has signed into a law what is being called the nation's toughest anti-abortion measure, a law that bans most abortions after less than two months, CNN reported. This sets into motion a likely legal showdown between those are both sides of the abortion debate, dating back to the 1973's landmark Roe. v. Wade decision that made abortion legal.
"Although the likelihood of this measure surviving a court challenge remains in question, this bill is nevertheless a legitimate attempt by a state legislature to discover the boundaries of Roe v. Wade, Governor Dalyrymple said in a statement.
"North Dakota's governor today effectively banned abortion in the state, with an outrageous and unconstitutional law that will not stand," responded the president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Cecile Richards.
The law does not spell out a specific time when a fetal heartbeat can be detected, but experts argue it is typically six to seven weeks into a pregnancy.
Under Roe v. Wade, abortions are generally permitted until the fetus is considered viable, or able to live outside the womb. Some states have no time limit, while others allow abortion up to the end of the second trimester, about 27 or 28 weeks into the pregnancy.
This month, Arkansas' legislature passed a bill banning abortions bill banning abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy. The state's Democratic governor, Mike Beebe, vetoed the bill, but the Arkansas House voted to override the veto, CNN reported.
